| 9. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav-consecutive on the imperfect verb vayiqbotz {וַיִּקְבֹּץ | wayyiq-bōṣ} ‘and he gathered’, signaling sequential narrative. The direct object marker et {אֵת־ | ʾet} combined with kol {כָּל־ | kol} ‘all’ introduces the enumeration kol Yehudah u-binyamin ve-hagarim, where conjunction wə {וְ | wə-} and prepositions mē {מֵ | mē-} and ʿim {עִם | ʿim} specify origin and inclusion. The causal clause introduced by kî {כִּֽי־ | kî} ‘for’ uses the Qal perfect naflu {נָפְלוּ | nāpə-lû} ‘they had fallen’, the prepositional phrase ʿalav {עָלָיו | ʿālāw} ‘upon him’, and lā-rōv {לָרֹב | lā-rōv} ‘in great number’ to denote mass defection. The temporal-causal construction bi-rotham {בִּרְאֹתָם | bir-ʾōtām} ‘when they saw’ plus kî {כִּֽי־ | kî} ‘that’ introduces the subordinate clause centered on the compound divine title Yahweh Elohav {יְהוָה אֱלֹהָיו | Yəhôwāh ʾĕlōhāwv}, followed by the prepositional complement ʿimmō {עִמּוֹ | ʿimmō} ‘with him’. This structure highlights how Divine presence motivated Israel’s allegiance while preserving Hebrew clause order. |